Your Highness (2011)

When it’s over, there are two words to describe this film.  Verbal porn.  Set in the medieval times with modern day raunchiness, Prince Fabious (James Franco) goes on a quest to rescue his bride (Zooey Deschanel) from the evil wizard, Leezar (Justin Theroux).  Tagging along are Thadeous (Danny McBride), the deadbeat brother, and Isabel (Natalie Portman), the beautiful maiden who wants revenge on Leezar.  The stupidity of the film kept me watching, kept me wondering if the film will somehow magically redeem itself.  No such luck.  I had a few “ha-ha-ha-s” and some “eww-s”, but couldn’t get myself to like the silliness or any of the characters.  Coming from the director of Pineapple Express, which was a smart, funny film, Your Highness fails to hit the mark.  This film’s off-beat mannerisms and setting reminded me of The Princess Bride, but lacked the quality, intelligence, or acting to equal the 1987 favourite. 

My rating: 2 out of 5

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

When it's over, fluff overpowers the story. I liked the animation, the visual details, and the comedy, but too many "filler" scenes proved to hinder story development. In present day, monsters fear humans. Dracula's (Adam Sandler) secret resort for monsters becomes compromised when a human (Andy Samberg) stumbles upon the hotel and falls for his daughter (Selena Gomez). This film lacked wit and emotional punch.  It doesn't compare to films like, How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, Up, Toy Story, and Ice Age, just to name a few. Those films engaged viewers of all ages, where this film did not.  Hotel Transylvania was the type of animated film that you enjoy at the moment and quickly forget afterwards. There were no memorable scenes and no memorable characters. The kids will definitely enjoy the slapstick and music, but for adults, there wasn't much intelligence in it for adults to embrace. But then again, this film wasn't geared to please the big people. My advice - don't expect too much and go with the flow. 

My rating: 3 out of 5

Dredd (2012)

When it's over, who is Dredd?  I know he is a veteran Judge, a law enforcement authority who serves as judge, jury, and executioner.  I know he is the best at his job and unwavering when it comes to passing judgment.  I know he has a dark past (most comic heroes do, plus there is half a sentence in the film that suggests this).  I don't read the Judge Dredd comics, so I cannot comment on how true the film is to the comics, but I can say that the film should have kept people like me in mind.  In 95 minutes, give me some character backstory; give me something "human" about Dredd, something I can identify with - perhaps a weakness, a habit, a fear? Set in a futuristic dystopian world where police officers are called Judges. Dredd (Karl Urban) teams up with a rookie (Olivia Thirlby) to destroy a gang producing the killer drug, SLO-MO. There is plenty of gratuitous violence, drug use, and F-bombs to earn its R rating. The violence paints a clear picture of the society Dredd lives in, which justifies his hardened nature. I like the veteran/rookie story and feel the relationship has the potential to balance their personalities and offer growth, which the film only scratches the surface of. Urban's performance carries the film, and without him, I would have rated this film much lower. He keeps me interested throughout. Because the audience never sees Dredd's complete face, everything is dependent on Urban utilizing the lower half of his face to communicate various emotions, from menace to pity to understanding. The film is stylish and has some original aspects done on a low-budgeted scale.  It reminds me a bit of Fifth Element meets Robo Cop, and definitely a better film than its predecessor, Sylvester Stallone's 1995 film, Judge Dredd.  

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Cleanskin (United Kingdom -2012)

When it’s over, this is a controversial film, because it offers likability in a character who represents atrocity. It’s not your average terrorist bombing film.  There are two stories being weaved. Story 1: Ewan (Sean Bean) is a MI6 agent, who is assigned to eliminate, by any means, a British-born suicide bomber, Ash (Abhin Galeya), and his assailants. Story 2: Ash’s powerful feelings towards justice lands him in law school, but his brewing anger gets him recruited into a terrorist cell. The film shifts between the two stories a few times in the film and is distracting.  I understand the reasoning behind the need to tell Ash’s story, and that is what makes this film different than other terrorist thrillers.  The story humanizes Ash, so the viewer does not just see him as a killer, but also a man who is torn between his emotions - love, loyalty, guilt. That adds an interesting twist to the story. I likehow the violence has purpose. Instead of senseless killing and destruction, each act of violence is choreographed to a specific character.  This is a break from the common “shoot ‘em up” flicks, which seem to be flooding theatres. Bean is a pleasure to watch. He brings great intensity to this role, and it is easy to believe his character to be unflinching as well as remorseful. The ending is fitting and no stones are left unturned. 

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)

When it’s over, strangeness works.  The film beams with creativity.  In order to date Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the girl of his dreams, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. There is a stylish blend of kung fu, arcade games, and comic absurdities, which gives the film its likability.  It is hard not to appreciate the talent that goes into writing a love story that defy traditional storytelling. I like the comedy, the oddities, the effective editing format, and visual style, but I could not bring myself to love the film. The main reason, because Scott Pilgrim does not appeal to me, nor do I want to root for him. Cera is right on as a geek, but unconvincing as a man who has a slew of ex-girlfriends and who comes to admit his mistakes. I like the look of Ramona as a character, but find her lacking in personality.  The filmmakers could have made her edgier.  Perhaps, a girl with some sass and a sharp tongue, but who is also a softy in the game of love.

My rating: 3 out of 5